A fresh twist has emerged in the ongoing standoff over Nation Media Group (NMG) operations in Uganda, after new details surfaced from a high-level meeting involving Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and businessman Rostam Aziz.
Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) spokesperson Andrew Mwenda has now disclosed that the government has laid out strict conditions that could fast-track the reopening of the media house—provided sweeping editorial reforms are implemented.
“The terms and conditions have been logged,” Mwenda said after the meeting, signaling what appears to be a breakthrough.
He emphasized that the government’s primary demand is professionalism, insisting that NMG must overhaul its newsroom structure.
“As a core condition of the agreement to move forward, NMG must hire professional editors and recruit professional journalists who will adhere strictly to a mandate of objective reporting,” he stated.
According to Mwenda, the latest talks formalised discussions that had been ongoing quietly behind the scenes.
He indicated that commitments made by NMG leadership to restructure editorial standards could lead to a quicker-than-expected resolution.
“Because of the firm commitments made, we are looking at a reopening of the media company that may happen far sooner than anyone expected,” he added.
At the center of the dispute is a detailed intelligence dossier reportedly presented by Gen Muhoozi during the meeting.
The report compiled five years of content from NMG outlets, including NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, and KFM, and allegedly pointed to sustained bias in coverage.
Mwenda claimed the findings raised serious concerns within government circles.
“The report presented clear evidence that 97% of NMG's top cover stories were negative toward the government,” he revealed.
He further argued that government actions were often portrayed in exaggerated terms, painting a consistently critical narrative.
“Every single infraction committed by the state was reported with heavy exaggeration. If you looked at their top 100 stories concerning the government, all 100 were aggressively negative,” Mwenda said.
In contrast, he alleged that coverage of opposition figures leaned heavily in their favor, prompting questions during the meeting about the credibility of the editorial process.
“Conversely, their top 100 stories regarding the political opposition were strictly sympathetic. It forced a very serious question inside the room: How sure are we that this media house has not been completely infiltrated?” he added.
The developments highlight growing tensions between the state and sections of the media, particularly around questions of bias, regulation, and press freedom.